Malaya

Withdrawal to Klaung

Then followed twelve wearisome days of fighting withdrawal. Positions, such as Tanjong Malim, fifty miles north of Kuala Lumpur, were taken up and then abandoned as the enemy made further landings in rear. So the overall retirement to the south continued. A long drive of 70 miles brought the British Battalion to Batang Berjuntai on the next main defence line, the Selangor River, on the morning of 6th January 1942.

Here the British Battalion held its position until 9th January when the unit on its right was overrun and the brigade on its left retired. With no support on either flank, the Battalion was ordered to start withdrawing through a series of intermediate positions to Kuala Lumpur. Lieutenant Bingham, the Carrier Officer, was mortally wounded when his carrier was blown up by an anti-tank mine at the approaches to the town.

Kuala Lumpur was reached at 2300 hours on 10th January, and on the orders of Colonel Morrison, the bridge was blown at 0430 hours the next day. The British Battalion was ordered to Labu, north of Malacca, where they came into Brigade reserve. Further withdrawals followed, and on 14th January they arrived at Kluang. Here, it was announced, the Brigade was to have a week's rest in Divisional reserve. The 'rest' lasted precisely one day. It was now known that there was to be a general withdrawal into Johore, the British Battalion acting as Divisional reserve.